What Lies Beneath
by Excophous
Summary: "Don't wander the forest at night. It will find you; it will take you." Not all cats take heed to this warning, and after the murder of his friend, Emberpaw tries to shed light on this urban legend. But as the shadows begin to fade, he soon realizes that some secrets are better left in the dark...
1. Allegiances

**ALLEGIANCES**

* * *

**SunClan:**

Leader: Cloudstar – white tom with blue eyes

Deputy: Skyfur – silver-blue she-cat with gray eyes

Medicine Cat: Riverfoot – gray tom with copper eyes

Warriors:

Smokeclaw – black tom with amber eyes (_Emberpaw_)

Icefire – white she-cat with orange splotches; blue eyes

Goldenleaf – yellow/white tom with blue eyes (_Gustpaw_)

Darkfur – black tom with amber eyes

Dovebriar – light gray she-cat with green eyes

Sunpelt – golden she-cat with copper eyes (_Woodpaw_)

Flameclaw – orange tom with amber eyes

Sprucefur – dark-brown she-cat; gray eyes

Apprentices:

Gustpaw – silver she-cat with blue eyes

Emberpaw – orange tom with amber eyes

Woodpaw – dark-brown tom with copper eyes

* * *

**MoonClan:**

Leader: Froststar – silver she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Lakeripple – dark-gray tom

Medicine Cat: Applefrost – brown she-cat with blue eyes

Warriors:

Stonestrike – smoky-gray tom (_Spottedpaw_)

Redberry – red she-cat with green eyes

Nightfire – black she-cat with red eyes

Cypher – spotted white tom with gray eyes (_Dapplepaw_)

Tigerstripe – brown tabby tom

Tinystep – small white she-cat (_Nightpaw_)

Jaggedtail – brown tabby tom; crooked tail

Cinderpelt – gray she-cat; bright blue eyes

Specklefur – pale tabby she-cat

Thornclaw – light-brown tom; green eyes

Apprentices:

Spottedpaw – dappled tom with green eyes

Halfpaw – big white tabby tom (missing tail)

Dapplepaw – tortoiseshell she-cat

Nightpaw – black she-cat; white-spotted fur

* * *

**StormClan: (formerly RainClan and WindClan)**

Leaders:

Thunderstar – brown tom

Rushstar – gray/white she-cat

Deputies:

Bluestride – blue/gray she-cat with blue eyes

Blossomtail – dappled she-cat

Medicine Cats:

Ferntail – brown she-cat with white chest (_Graypaw_)

Brambletail – smoky-brown tom

Warriors:

Dawnfoot – black she-cat; green eyes

Hawkfrost – gray tabby tom; icy blue eyes

Leopardstorm – orange spotted she-cat

Maplepelt – light-brown she-cat (_Blazepaw_)

Blizzardclaw – white tom (_Hailpaw_)

Harefoot – light-gray tom

Breezefur – smoky she-cat

Thistlefang – brown tom; green eyes (_Frostpaw_)

Iceheart – white she-cat

Robinwind – red tom; blue eyes

Sandtail – light-brown she-cat (_Coalpaw_)

Eagleclaw – brown tom with amber eyes (_Firepaw_)

Sparrowfur – dark-russet she-cat

Willowfur – white tabby she-cat; gray eyes

Shadowstep – lithe black she-cat

Snowpelt – white tom; blue eyes

Spiderleg – tall black/orange tom; amber eyes

Foxclaw – dark-orange/black she-cat

Badgerclaw – black/white tom

Lionwhisker – gold tom

Apprentices:

Graypaw – dark-gray tom with amber eyes

Blazepaw – dark-orange tom

Hailpaw – light-gray she-cat with green eyes

Frostpaw – white she-cat

Firepaw – yellow/white tom; blue eyes

Coalpaw – black tom; white chest

Queens:

Whitewing – white she-cat (_Morningkit_) (_Webkit_)

Weaslefur – light-brown she-cat; green eyes (_Mousekit_) (_Honeykit_)

Elders:

Heavystep – large silver tabby tom

Creamtail – dark-gray she-cat; white tail

* * *

**Cats/Animals outside Clans: **

Bloodclaw – huge dark-black cat with glowing red eyes


	2. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

* * *

It's an assassin, a beast that stalks through the night. Claws that slice beautifully through flesh, teeth that rip away your soul.

It's coldblooded; it feels no remorse, no pity. You can try pleading with it, only to be slaughtered in the most vicious way possible; it doesn't like begging. Its crave for blood is unlike any other, its longing to hear the snap of bone like nothing you could ever imagine.

It's not a being; it's more like a shadow. You can't touch it, but it can touch you. It follows you, it lingers, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When you whip around, it's gone, only to reappear as soon as you think it's your imagination.

All those who see it are never seen again; they disappear without any trace. It's only by the putrid scent that lingers during the day that they're able to find out what happened to you.

Hate. That's what all feel towards it. It's unwanted; dubious. It's a scourge that plagues the forest, a place where peace should flourish, not fear.

Its actions are worthy of death. Everyone wishes it were dead, that I would cease to exist. Everyone wants to kill it, but they don't know the price that comes with such an action.


	3. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

"You look funny," Emberpaw commented, prodding Gustpaw in the side. The gray she-cat was practicing her hunters' crouch. Gustpaw was having a little trouble: her tail was too low, while her shoulders were raised too high.

"Leave her alone, Emberpaw!" Goldenleaf mewed, his voice stern. He was residing a few foxlengths away. Emberpaw's own mentor, Smokeclaw, accompanied the yellow tom. Smokeclaw's eyes narrowed at Emberpaw threateningly, causing him to back away from Gustpaw.

A paw nudged Emberpaw in the side. Turning his head, Emberpaw saw Woodpaw giving him a hard glare.

Emberpaw sighed. He knew that Woodpaw had a crush on Gustpaw, it was pretty obvious. Emberpaw just wished that Woodpaw would stop being such a hedgehog about it. Every time he came within a few mouselengths of the white she-cat, Woodpaw would growl at him or give him a glare. He acted like he owned her.

"Alright, alright," Emberpaw whispered, rolling his eyes. He sat down next to Woodpaw, watching Gustpaw practice her crouch some more. After a few moments, the she-cat finally got it. With not much else to do, the mentors decided that the apprentices could practice battle moves.

"Woodpaw, you can go against Emberpaw," Smokeclaw decided.

Emberpaw gave a small huff. Woodpaw was an exceptional fighter, Emberpaw didn't feel like having his tail handed to him. Padding into the center of the clearing, Ember stood facing Woodpaw.

The brown apprentice was smirking. He dropped into a crouch, his eyes darting over Emberpaw's form. Emberpaw dropped into a crouch of his own, drawing in a deep breath.

"Begin!" Smokeclaw called.

Woodpaw moved first, darting from side to side in a hypnotizing pattern. Emberpaw was instantly forced on the defensive, backing up from his brown friend.

Woodpaw lashed a paw toward Emberpaw's face, catching him around the ear. Emberpaw used the impact to roll to the side, rushing towards Woodpaw's belly.

"Too slow!" Woodpaw hissed, taking a small hop backwards. He aimed two more shots at Emberpaw, catching him on the side of his head and his shoulder.

Growling, Emberpaw leaped on top of Woodpaw. He leaned, trying to use his weight to force Woodpaw on his side.

At first it seemed to be working, but Woodpaw didn't fall: he rolled. The ground came rushing toward Emberpaw, and his head slammed against packed earth. As he hit the floor, Woodpaw struck a lightning-quick hind leg into Emberpaw's stomach, causing him to gasp. The impact of the hit sent Emberpaw skidding and rolling for several foxlengths, dust flying in his wake.

"That hurt!" Emberpaw hissed, spitting dirt out of his mouth. His head ached horribly, and his stomach was on fire; he felt like he had to vomit.

Woodpaw just shrugged. "It's not my fault you're bad at fighting," he meowed casually.

Unsheathing his claws, Emberpaw took a step forward, eyes burning. A shadowy figure stepped in front of the orange apprentice, and it took him a small moment to realize it was Smokeclaw.

"Calm down, Emberpaw," the black tom warned. He waved his tail, a signal for Woodpaw to return to his mentor.

"We'll practice battle moves later today," Smokeclaw whispered. There was a sympathetic look in his eyes, underlined with guilt. Emberpaw guessed that Smokeclaw felt it was his fault he was lacking in battle skill.

Snorting, Emberpaw turned and padded sulkily into the thicker of the forest. If there was one thing he was good at, it was hunting.

Sniffing the air, Emberpaw caught the scent of a squirrel nearby. Glancing around, the orange apprentice saw the brown creature bouncing along the roots of a tree, looking for nuts. Its back was facing Emberpaw, making it rather easy to kill the animal quickly.

"Nice catch."

Emberpaw spun around to see Smokeclaw emerging from a thick bush. Leaves and twigs clung to his pelt; he shook them off as he approached.

"Thanks," Emberpaw mewed, sounding unenthusiastic. He fought the annoyance that swelled in his chest at the sight of his mentor. _I came out here to calm myself, not to be assessed. _"What are you doing here?"

"I thought I might talk to you," Smokeclaw offered.

"Well, I don't feel like talking." Emberpaw picked up his squirrel and tried to push past Smokeclaw, but the black tom didn't budge.

"You don't really have much of a choice," Smokeclaw warned, a hint of a growl in his voice. He flicked his tail, a gesture that he wanted Emberpaw to sit down.

Grumbling to himself, Emberpaw sat and set his squirrel at his paws, staring disdainfully at Smokeclaw. All Emberpaw wanted to do was go back to camp, eat, then go to sleep. Why did Smokeclaw have to make things so difficult?

"I realize you're upset about Woodpaw beating you…" Smokeclaw began.

_No…!_ Emberpaw thought sarcastically, flicking his ear irritably. _What gave it away?_

"…doesn't mean you can sulk around the forest," Smokeclaw finished.

"What do you expect me to do?" Emberpaw scoffed, his voice dripping with bitterness. "Go up to him and say 'thank you for kicking my tail'?"

Smokeclaw sighed. "For starters, you could stop being so bitter," he growled. His eyes were burning, annoyance glistening in their amber depths. "You act like it's the end of the world!

"Why don't you focus on getting better instead of grouching about a scrimmage you lost?" the black tom finished, ears flattened against his head.

"Alright, fine!" Emberpaw seethed. "Why don't we practice, then?"

"That's more like it!" Smokeclaw grunted, dropping into a crouch. "Let's see if you can apply that anger of yours into fighting!"

* * *

Emberpaw took a gulp of breath, his limbs trembling. He felt strained; he hadn't trained like this in a while. He and Smokeclaw had been scrimmaging all day – it was not sunset.

"Alright, that's enough," Smokeclaw declared, panting. "We should get back to camp." He cast an anxious glance into the deeper of the forest, his ears pricking.

Emberpaw followed his mentor's gaze. He knew very well what prowled the night, waiting for an ignorant cat to wander the forest alone.

"We should go…" Smokeclaw repeated, speaking as if to himself. His voice sounded distant, like he was lost in some kind of memory.

_Weird,_ Emberpaw thought. He picked up his mouse and padded past Smokeclaw, shooting a questioning look over his shoulder. Smokeclaw was still staring into the forest, his tail twitching.

"Are you coming?" Emberpaw called, dropping his mouse.

Smokeclaw jumped, his fur fluffing. He turned around, looking startled. Emberpaw could see sadness glimmering in the black cat's gaze, and Emberpaw saw the tom mouth something. He couldn't quite make out what it was, but it looked like 'I'm sorry'.

Emberpaw blinked, confused. What was Smokeclaw apologizing for? Tilting his head to the side, Emberpaw padded toward the camp, leaving Smokeclaw to mutter to himself.

* * *

The Clan was winding down by the time Emberpaw pushed through the entrance. Icefire was sharing tongues with Dovebriar, while Flameclaw was chatting with Sprucefur and Goldenleaf. Woodpaw and Gustpaw were chatting by the apprentices' den. Gustpaw was meowing something to the brown tom, whom looked rather upset.

Padding toward the fresh-kill pile, Emberpaw dropped his prey on top. He picked a juicy-looking pigeon and settled down, tearing into his food.

Swiping his tongue around his jaws, Emberpaw noticed that a set of paws were standing in front of him. Looking up, Emberpaw saw Woodpaw standing in front of him.

"Hey," the brown tom began awkwardly, shuffling his paws. He didn't look directly at Emberpaw.

"What is it?" Emberpaw meowed, huffing with annoyance. "Have you come to gloat?"

Woodpaw's eyes sparked with anger, but he took a deep breath.

"No," he seethed, his mew just on the verge of being a hiss. "I just wanted to say… I'm sorry for earlier."

Emberpaw narrowed his eyes, doubt coursing through his body. Woodpaw _never _apologized, it was probably the rarest occasion that could occur. Tilting his head to the side, Emberpaw flicked his ear. _What is he up to? _

"Look, can you just accept my apology?" Woodpaw pressed, making an exasperated noise. He sounded agitated.

"Okay…" Emberpaw stammered, his fur prickling with apprehension. He hesitated a moment before finally mewing, "I accept your apology."

Woodpaw gave a curt nod. He stalked off toward the apprentices' den, his fur bristling.

Following the young tom, Emberpaw caught sight of Gustpaw laying by the entrance to the apprentices' den. As Woodpaw pushed through the bramble thicket, he muttered something to the white she-cat. Gustpaw looked directly at Emberpaw, her blue eyes meeting amber.

The she-cat's gaze was sparkling with triumph, and as she locked eyes with Emberpaw, she gave a wink.

Emberpaw blinked. Why was Gustpaw winking at him? It took him a while to put two and two together, but when he did, humor caused his fur to lift.

Gustpaw had made Woodpaw apologize.

Purring with laughter, Emberpaw returned the wink, his lips parting in a smile. Gustpaw nodded, then disappeared inside the apprentices' den. Emberpaw stared up at the stars, his finished meal lying in front of his paws. The night seemed so beautiful and peaceful, it was hard to imagine the horror that lurked in its depths every night.

As if in answer to the statement, a bloodcurdling screech echoed throughout the night.

Jumping to his paws, Emberpaw bounded toward the apprentices' den. Curling up in his nest, he closed his eyes, a silence filling the air as the Clan sank into sleep.


	4. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I finally finished this chapter! I'm also working on ROAL; I've got about 500 words... I didn't proof read this, so please excuse any mistakes. If I have the time, I'll correct them later!**

**CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

"Smokeclaw, Darkfur, Dovebriar, Goldenleaf, Icefire, Gustpaw, Emberpaw, and Woodpaw."

Emberpaw gave a sniff, looking up at the black sky. Stars were littered in Silverpelt, twinkling like dew in the sunshine. Cats were already starting to group together to leave, while others were finishing meals in preparation.

"Come on, slowpoke!"

Emberpaw was snapped out of his thoughts by Gustpaw's mew. She was padding toward the group, her tail flicking behind her.

Woodpaw trotted forward, his sun-colored eyes shining as his fur brushed against Gustpaw's.

_Just great,_ Emberpaw thought, giving a disdainful grunt. He didn't really feel like going to the Gathering. All the Clans did was give news about Bloodclaw; contemplating ways to get rid of the monster once and for all. It was bad enough that he was going to the Gathering; now he had to witness Woodpaw act moony around Gustpaw!

"Something on your mind?"

Whipping around, Emberpaw saw Smokeclaw standing behind him, the black cat's massive figure looming over him. The tom's eyes were narrowed thoughtfully; he had them trained on Emberpaw.

"I don't really see why we even go to Gatherings anymore," Emberpaw confessed, flicking his ear at the camp entrance. "It seems that all the Clans do is talk about Bloodclaw."

Smokeclaw tilted his head to the side. "You don't think discussing Bloodclaw is important?" He settled himself on the ground, staring Emberpaw in the eye. "Bloodclaw is a threat to all the Clans; why shouldn't we share news about it?"

"But, that's _all _we talk about!" Emberpaw meowed. "Why can't we discuss new apprentices, or a queen having kits or something?"

"Bloodclaw is the most important thing on the matter at the moment," Smokeclaw explained. "I know it may seem boring, talking of nothing but it, but that's the way things have to be at the moment."

"I guess."

Emberpaw turned and joined Woodpaw and Gustpaw by the camp entrance. The two were talking in hushed voices, eyes darting here and there to make sure no cat was listening.

"Why are you two acting so secretive?" Emberpaw mewed, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Gustpaw hardly ever did anything troublesome, but Woodpaw was the complete opposite. Whatever the two were planning, if Woodpaw was involved, it couldn't be good.

"Keep your voice down!" Woodpaw hissed quietly, signaling for Emberpaw to come closer with his tail. Emberpaw followed, glancing around. Even though they were surrounded by warriors, almost all of them were discussing matters of their own. None seemed to be paying attention to three apprentices.

"Okay…" Woodpaw mewed once Emberpaw was settled. He looked excited; his eyes were brimming with anticipation. "Gustpaw and I were talking. We're going to sneak away from the Gathering and trek through the forest."

Emberpaw couldn't believe his ears. They were going to do _what_? The orange apprentice's heart began to pound, and he felt his head swim. They knew very well that they weren't supposed to go out at night, and they knew the reason. Now they were being ignorant, and for what?

"Are you two insane!?" Emberpaw growled, lashing his tail. Gustpaw's eyes widened. A well of anger rose up inside of him, for reasons that Emberpaw couldn't explain.

"What's wrong with you?" he seethed, voice dripping with venom. "You know very well that we aren't supposed to go out at night! I can't believe that you two could be so stupid!"

Gustpaw just looked downright startled at Emberpaw's anger, but Woodpaw's eyes were glistening with annoyance.

"Come on, Emberpaw," the brown tom meowed, keeping his voice low. "We're just going for a walk. Besides, there'll be countless other cats in the forest. The likelihood of us being attacked will most likely be nothing!"

Frustration boiled beneath Emberpaw's skin. Baring his teeth, he was about to reply when a flash of white caught his eye.

Cloudstar had risen to his paws, and was now pushing his way through the camp entrance. He called a warning to let all cats know he was leaving, and warriors began filing out of the camp.

Casting Woodpaw and Gustpaw a resentful glance, Emberpaw picked his way through the bramble entrance, grumbling to himself as the thorns pricked at his pelt.

The Clan began to murmur as they trekked to the Gathering. Emberpaw tried his best to tune out the conversations, glancing around the forest as he padded on.

It was pretty dark. The moon was a bright glowing disk in the sky. Stars twinkled faintly in the black, a reminder that StarClan was watching.

Emberpaw huffed, staring up at the night sky. Everyone always talked about how powerful StarClan was; that they could do anything. If that was the case, then why couldn't they banish Bloodclaw from the forest, and leave the Clans in peace?

Emberpaw was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the rising murmur of cats ahead. They were nearing the Gathering Hollow.

Warriors instantly broke away from the group as the entered the dip in the ground. Emberpaw noticed Gustpaw and Woodpaw sitting rather close to the lip of the hollow, ready to sneak away at any moment.

Emberpaw scoffed, a low growl rumbling in his throat. If Gustpaw and Woodpaw wanted to go out on stupid escapades, that wasn't his problem. _Let them get hurt; maybe a little pain will knock some sense into them…_

Turning his attention back to the crowd, Emberpaw noticed that the leaders were preparing to speak. Thunderstar raised his voice in a yowl, signaling that the Gathering was taking place.

"The Gathering has begun!" the brown tom announced, his voice rumbling like thunder. "Who would like to go first?"

Froststar stepped forward, her white pelt turned silver in the moonlight. Her green gaze swept over the cats.

"With the presence of Greenleaf, MoonClan is doing well," she began. Emberpaw caught a flash of grief in her eyes. "But recently, one of our cats has gone missing; Redberry. She was guarding the camp at night a few sunrises ago, and she hadn't been seen since. We can only assume that she was taken by…" her voice faltered, "…by Bloodclaw."

A murmur of sadness rippled throughout the Clans, but none seemed too upset about the news. With a jolt, Emberpaw realized that things like this probably happened all the time. With disappearances happening all the time, the Clans must've gotten used to it by now.

Rushstar stepped forward, her blue eyes intense as she gazed at Froststar.

"I'm sorry about Redberry," the she-cat began, "but surely this has gone on long enough? Why not join StormClan? Here, you shall never have to fear Bloodclaw again, what with the numbers that we offer!"

Rushstar put up a paw, stopping Froststar from saying another word.

"Thank you," she meowed, "but we need no help from StormClan. MoonClan can take care of itself."

Froststar's eyes flashed with contempt, but she spun around and returned to her spot, her fur ruffled.

Cloudstar stepped forward this time, looking from one she-cat to the next. His eyes were troubled, but he carried on nonetheless.

"SunClan is doing fine," the tom mewed, "Greenleaf brings more and more prey every sunrise, and we are grateful of its bounty."

With nothing else to report, all leaders returned to their respective Clans. Cats mingled for a while before heading home. Emberpaw padded toward the edge of the hollow, wanting to go home and sleep.

A shadow loomed over Emberpaw, and he looked up to see Smokeclaw standing over him. The black cat's eyes were intense, and he was staring Emberpaw straight in the eye.

"What is it?" Emberpaw mewed, his lack of sleep making his mew come out sharper than he intended.

Smokeclaw looked Emberpaw up and down, then narrowed his eyes.

"Where's Gustpaw and Woodpaw?"

* * *

**Okay... I've got this in, next comes ROAL...**

**Anyway, I wanted to talk to you guys about something. As of tomorrow, it's going to be... my birthday! Yep, I am now -blank- years old! Ha! You didn't think I was going to tell you how old I was, did you? No, that information is for a different occasion...**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Catch you later!**

**Toxic out.**


	5. Chapter 3

**CH3**

* * *

"What do you mean?" Emberpaw returned, avoiding the question. He glanced away, unable to meet Smokeclaw's fierce amber stare.

"You know what I mean," Smokeclaw growled, baring his teeth. Ember felt his fur lift. He struggled to keep it flat, then dug his claws into the ground as he glared into Smokeclaw's gaze.

"I don't know where they are," he mewed simply. It wasn't exactly a lie: Emberpaw really didn't know where they were. They had told they were going to look for Bloodclaw, but that's what they were _doing_. For all Emberpaw knew, they could be safely back at camp.

Smokeclaw sighed. He narrowed his eyes. "Knowing Woodpaw, I already have an idea of what he dragged Gustpaw into. I commend their bravery, but disapprove of their foolishness. They'll be disappointed in their search, however."

Emberpaw blinked. What was Smokeclaw talking about? Emberpaw thought that Bloodclaw came out every night. Did he obey the truce of the full moon, like all Clans did? "What do you mean?"

"Bloodclaw doesn't come out during the full moon," Smokeclaw snorted, "or if it does, it doesn't attack. It seems even it obeys the truce."

Emberpaw stared after Smokeclaw as he padded away, falling in with the rest of the Clan. He fell in beside Goldenleaf, who looked worried, and murmured something in his ear. The yellow tom rolled his eyes, then flicked his tail as he murmured something back.

Emberpaw hurried after his Clan, cursing himself for revealing his denmates' secret. They'd be mad at him, no doubt, but how long it would last was a different matter. Sighing, Emberpaw trudged through the forest, his tail down.

"Emberpaw…"

Emberpaw jerked his head up. He knew someone had called his name, but the only he could see was SunClan disappearing into the undergrowth.

Emberpaw narrowed his eyes. He felt as if something were watching him. He whipped around, but saw nothing but the undergrowth waving in the evening chill. Feeling a sudden wave of anxiety well in his chest, Emberpaw hurried after his Clan, his fur once again burning with the feeling that he was being watched.

* * *

"Oh look, it's the tattle-tale," Woodpaw growled, his voice dripping with contempt. The apprentices were near the fresh-kill pile, eating while they prepared for today's work. Woodpaw was about to take a bit of his shrew, but he stopped midway. "I'd better eat this somewhere else," he told Gustpaw, who was eating a squirrel. "Some cat might think it's against the rules to eat here and tell on me."

Emberpaw pinned his ears against his head as Woodpaw padded away. Upon knowing of their little escapade, Goldenleaf and Sunpelt had confined Gustpaw and Woodpaw to the camp for a quarter moon. They had to clean out all the bedding in camp, and they were only allowed to leave to collect moss.

Emberpaw had tried to explain to his friends that he really hadn't told Smokeclaw about their daring act; he'd just guessed. Woodpaw hadn't believed him, but Gustpaw had remained silent, as if she couldn't decide who to side with in the matter.

"I didn't say anything!" Emberpaw grumbled, flicking his tail crossly. Why did Woodpaw have to make such a big deal out of it, anyway? Why not just take the punishment and get on with it? Emberpaw turned to Gustpaw. "You believe me, right?"

Gustpaw's eyes widened, as if she were caught off guard by the question. She looked away and flattened her ears. "I'm neutral in this situation," she mumbled, "you and Woodpaw can work out your differences on your own."

Emberpaw sighed, "I just wish he wouldn't make such a big deal out of it." He finished his prey and washed his pelt, then looked up as Smokeclaw pushed his way out of the warriors' den. The black warrior made his way over to Emberpaw.

"Come on, battle training," he ordered, making his way through the camp entrance. Emberpaw followed. His ears still burned with shame as he remembered his fight with Woodpaw. The brown tom had made him look mouse-brained.

_Not next time,_ Emberpaw vowed, determination welling in his chest. He stretched as he and Smokeclaw reached the training clearing, then dropped into an attacking crouch.

"All right," Smokeclaw meowed, tilting his head. "Let's begin."

* * *

Emberpaw slinked into the apprentices' den, his jaws widening in a yawn. He circled in his nest before going to sleep, ignoring Woodpaw's hushed hiss at the edge of the den.

_He'll get over it…_ Emberpaw remarked, _sooner or later…_

000

Emberpaw blinked open his eyes. He looked around, seeing a blank, flat landscape, nothing in sight as far as the eye could see. A blinding light was shining overhead, illuminating a small patch of ground that Emberpaw was sitting on. Beyond the light lay an eerie darkness.

_Weird, _Emberpaw thought, _I must be dreaming_. Emberpaw stepped forward, cautiously peering into the darkness that lay beyond. Somehow, this felt like more than a dream to him. It felt someone was trying to tell him something.

Something moved. Emberpaw's head snapped downward. He could've sworn he saw something. Around him, the black ground began to ripple as if it were made from water.

Emberpaw drew his nose closer to the ground. It rippled again, and this time a cat's head sprang up to meet Emberpaw's.

Emberpaw leaped backward, letting out a small cry of alarm. One of his legs went over the barrier of light, and suddenly Emberpaw began to feel very, very cold. He drew his leg back and felt it warm again.

_What's going on?_

"Please." The head that popped up from the ground began to speak. "Help me."

Emberpaw's eyes widened. He padded slowly forward. The cat's eyes were glazed with terror.

"It's okay," Emberpaw meowed, drawing nearer. He didn't know why, but he somehow felt obligated to help this cat. He was about to grasp the cat's scruff when another head popped up nearby.

"Help me!" the cat pleaded. "Don't let it take me!"

"Don't let what take you?" Emberpaw questioned. His heart began to pound with fear.

"Get me out of here!"

Emberpaw whipped around. Another head had popped, begging to be brought into the light.

"J-just hold on…" Emberpaw mewed, his voice shaking. He turned back to the first cat, but before he could help, another popped up, and another. Soon, Emberpaw was surrounded by cats calling out to him, begging for his help.

"Stop it!" Emberpaw screeched, becoming flustered. The cats' calls grew louder and louder, until they were like the screeches of eagles in Emberpaw's ears.

"Please stop!" Emberpaw begged, crouching low to the ground. He placed his paws over his ears. "Make it stop. Please, make it stop!"

Emberpaw opened his eyes. The cats were still calling, and the light from above began to grow thinner. Scared, Emberpaw backed away, trying to stay under the precious beam.

"No, don't!" Emberpaw cried, his breath becoming hoarse as the light grew thinner still. "Come back! Don't leave me with them!"

As the light died out, the cats began to latch their claws into Emberpaw's flesh and drag him downward.

"Get off me!" Emberpaw snarled, feeling the sudden cold feeling again. "Let me go!"

Screeching in terror, Emberpaw couldn't stop the cats from dragging under into their unknown abyss.

"Emberpaw, wake up!"

Emberpaw jolted awake. Early dawn light trickled into the apprentices' den. Emberpaw blinked and saw Gustpaw crouched over him, her eyes wide and concerned.

"You okay?" the silver she-cat asked. "You were fidgeting in your sleep."

"I-I'm fine," Emberpaw lied, trying to calm his hammering heart. "It was just a dream." _But it felt so real…_

"Okay…" Gustpaw mewed, though she sounded unconvinced. Emberpaw got his paws and padded outside, his limbs trembling.

_It was just a dream._ Emberpaw reminded himself. But why did it feel so real? He could still hear the cats' cries echoing in his ears, and he still felt frightfully cold.

_It was just some bad prey, that's all._ Emberpaw thought. _It was just a dream._

_Just a dream…_

* * *

**All right! I'm sorry I haven't been posting lately. I've actually been working on my drawing! I've been inspired by River Spirit, and I have taken it upon myself to learn the ways of art! I pretty much suck now, but hey - you can only get better.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Until my next update, I will see you guys, when I see you guys. And remember: Praise the Shadows.**


	6. Chapter 4

**CH4**

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Emberpaw snapped to attention. He'd been feeling absent-minded ever since he'd had his dream a few sunrises back. He and Smokeclaw were now in the training clearing.

"I-I'm sorry," Emberpaw apologized, feeling his fur lift. He gazed at Smokeclaw - completely lost. Had his mentor been giving him instructions, or showing him a move? "Did you say something?"

Smokeclaw sighed. "That's it," he mewed, an edge to his voice. He laid down on his belly, then turned his gaze on Emberpaw. "Talk to me. What's been going on with you? You've been really absent-minded. Is something troubling you?"

Emberpaw hesitated. He didn't like sharing personal feelings or anything like that with other cats. He preferred keeping things to himself. But his dreams had continued to haunt him, and he needed to talk to some cat. "I've been having… dreams."

"What sort of dreams?" Smokeclaw questioned, clearly interested. He waited patiently while Emberpaw collected his thoughts.

"Just…" Emberpaw's voice faltered. Most of his dreams had been repeats of the dream he'd had a few days back: cats begging to be hauled out of some sort of liquid darkness. Emberpaw had also had dreams of killing cats, for reasons he couldn't explain. "…about cats dying…"

Smokeclaw thought a moment. He narrowed his eyes. Emberpaw blinked at his mentor, waiting for him to give him some sort of comfort or advice.

"Have you been suppressing your emotions?" Smokeclaw asked, tilting his head to the side. "It could also be the fresh-kill you've been eating."

Emberpaw shook his head. He hadn't been particularly angry about anything; just upset about Woodpaw ignoring him. Fresh-kill couldn't be a part of it, either. He'd been eating usually the same prey he ate every day.

"Well, then I honestly can't help you," Smokeclaw sighed, "maybe you should talk to Riverfoot. He offers much better advice than me."

Emberpaw nodded. He did want some cat to make his frightful dreams cease, but somehow he knew that anything Riverfoot had to say wouldn't work. Somehow, in his heart, he knew there was no way to stop these dreams.

000

Emberpaw pushed his way out of the medicine den. He'd been right: Riverfoot hadn't been able to find an explanation to why Emberpaw was dreaming of cats dying. The gray tom had asked him question after question, but still he couldn't piece together the cause of such violent visions.

Grumbling to himself, Emberpaw made his way over to the fresh-kill pile. It was sunset: the sky was a dark velvet color. Golden clouds drifted slowly across the sky. To Emberpaw, the sky looked to be the shade of blood. Shaking his head, he picked himself a vole from the fresh-kill pile.

Woodpaw and Gustpaw were chatting nearby. Emberpaw noticed that once again their voices were hushed. Apprehension pricked Emberpaw's fur, and he couldn't stop himself from padding over to see what the two were talking about.

"Get out of here, tattle-tale," Woodpaw hissed, baring his teeth at Emberpaw. Emberpaw flinched at the cruelty he found in the brown tom's gaze, and he couldn't help but take a small step back.

"Calm down, Woodpaw," Gustpaw murmured, giving the brown tom a lick between the ears. She beckoned Emberpaw forward with her tail. "I think it's about time you two made up."

Woodpaw narrowed his eyes, but he said nothing as Emberpaw took a seat near him and began tearing into his vole. The two sat in awkward silence until Gustpaw spoke up.

"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed, her fur beginning to bristle. "This has gone on long enough! Either you two make up, or I'll claw both your ears!"

Woodpaw grumbled something under his breath, but he turned his copper gaze on Emberpaw.

"I'm sorry about giving you such a hard time," the brown tom sighed grudgingly. "I shouldn't have been such a foxheart."

Emberpaw hesitated. He didn't feel the need to apologize; he'd done nothing wrong!

"Emberpaw…" Gustpaw warned, her tone hard. She slid out her claws, and Emberpaw knew she wasn't kidding when she said she would claw him.

"I'm sorry for telling…" Emberpaw mewed, "…I didn't mean to… it just sort of happened."

"Great!" Gustpaw meowed happily, jumping to her paws. She looked first at Woodpaw, then at Emberpaw. "Now, I want you two to hug it out."

Emberpaw's gaze widened. He gawked at Gustpaw. She couldn't be serious, could she? Emberpaw's gaze flickered to Woodpaw, and he saw the same reluctance in the brown tom's gaze.

"You can claw me if you want to," the apprentice mewed, "I'm not hugging him."

"Me neither," Emberpaw meowed. Making up was one thing, hugging was another. He still felt a little bitter about the way Woodpaw had treated him; he wasn't hugging the brown tom.

"Eh, worth a shot," Gustpaw mewed, blinking her crystal blue eyes. Emberpaw felt a sudden shiver run down his spine. Gustpaw certainly was good-looking. No wonder Woodpaw had fallen for her.

"Now, why don't we all go to bed?" Gustpaw suggested, padding toward the apprentices' den. Woodpaw and Emberpaw followed, casting a glance at each other as they pushed through the entrance.

000

Emberpaw's eyes flew open. He'd had another dream. This one had been different. He'd dreamed of cats' spirits wreathing around him, all whispering in his ear. Emberpaw hadn't been able to make out what they were saying, but he felt as if they'd been trying to warn him about something.

Blinking, Emberpaw saw that it was the middle of the night. There was no moon in the sky; only stars glittered in the black.

Emberpaw gave a heavy sigh, then looked around the apprentices' den. It was rather dark, but after a few moments Emberpaw began to realize something.

Woodpaw and Gustpaw were gone.

Where had they gone off to? Emberpaw shot to his paws. He glanced frantically around, searching for any sign of them. He checked their bedding, and realized with a sinking heart that the moss was cold and their scents were stale.

_Oh, StarClan_, Emberpaw hissed inwardly, his heart racing. He already had an idea of what the two were doing. And with the full moon no longer in the night sky, they were sure to be attacked.

Emberpaw raced out of the apprentices' den and into the camp clearing. All other cats were sleeping in their dens. Emberpaw felt a small spark of relief that Bloodclaw actually did exist: there was no one guarding the camp as he pushed through the bramble thicket.

Keeping his nose close to the ground, Emberpaw realized that it was actually rather easy to pick up Woodpaw's and Gustpaw's scent. Weaving his way through the forest, Emberpaw soon found the two crouching beside a tree, their bristling pelts touching. Fur lifting, Emberpaw stormed up to them, a growl rumbling in his throat.

The two cats whipped around, their eyes widening as they saw Emberpaw approaching them.

"What are you two doing here!?" Emberpaw hissed, unsheathing his claws. Woodpaw rushed forward and clamped his tail over Emberpaw's mouth.

"Quiet!" the brown tom hissed. Emberpaw looked into the tom's eyes and saw that they were filled with fear. Understanding coursed through Emberpaw like the waters in a raging river: Bloodclaw was nearby.

"Uhh… guys…" Gustpaw's frightened mew made both toms spin around. Gustpaw was crouched against the ground, her whole frame trembling.

Emberpaw's eyes widened in pure fear. In front of Gustpaw stood a massive black figure, malignant red eyes staring hungrily at the small silver she-cat.

Bloodclaw.

With a growl that could make even the most fearless warrior run for the hills, the massive beast lunged for Gustpaw.

Woodpaw raced forward, a screech escaping his throat as he tore across the ground. "No!"

Emberpaw just sat watching, frozen with fear. He willed his paws – for anything – to move, but they wouldn't. He stayed glued to the floor, eyes raking over Woodpaw as he attacked Bloodclaw.

Woodpaw leapt on top of the beast, a hiss escaping his jaws. Bloodclaw let out a furious roar and threw the tom off. Woodpaw landed heavily on the ground, winded.

_You can't fight it,_ Emberpaw thought, willing Woodpaw to get up and run away. Bloodclaw's red eyes glowed with a new hunger as it looked at the brown apprentice. Padding over to him, the creature stood over his body. Bloodclaw opened his mouth, and a white mist seemed to rise from Woodpaw's body.

_What's it doing?_ Emberpaw thought. He didn't know why, but seeing Bloodclaw do something like this…

Emberpaw suddenly kicked into action. All traces of fear left his body, instantly to be replaced by fury. He slammed into Bloodclaw, ignoring Gustpaw's warning to be careful.

Bloodclaw hissed in surprise, landing heavily on its side. Emberpaw dug his claws into the beast's black fur, ripping at with all the fury he could muster. Emberpaw's claws seemed to pass right through Bloodclaw's body, and he could've sworn he heard the creature purr with amusement.

Bloodclaw threw Emberpaw off like a piece of prey. Emberpaw landed on the ground, winded, and watched in horror as the black cat loomed over him. Bloodclaw placed a paw on Emberpaw's chest, and something rather strange happened.

Emberpaw felt a sudden icy feeling creep through his body. Visions began to pass over his eyes: all the dreams that he'd been having over the past quarter moon. Bloodclaw's eyes sparked with interest, and Emberpaw could hear whispers invade his mind.

_Spare him._

_He's different._

_Let him live._

Bloodclaw growled deep in its throat. Emberpaw tried to free himself, but he was no match for the monster's greater size and weight. The black beast knelt down, and Emberpaw screeched in agony as it dug its teeth into his neck. Emberpaw was then hauled to his paws by his scruff, and was flung aside.

Bloodclaw backed away, melting into the shadows with its eyes trained on Emberpaw. Emberpaw blinked. An icy-like feeling gripped his body like thorns. He struggled to his paws, his heart trying to ram its way out of its chest. He looked around, searching for Woodpaw and Gustpaw.

Gustpaw was crouched over Woodpaw's body, tears streaming from her eyes. She was muttering something, and Emberpaw strained his ears to hear.

"Please don't leave me," the she-cat whispered, her voice cracking. "What about our kits? You said we'd raise a family after we became warriors. We can't do that if you leave."

Emberpaw gazed at Woodpaw's body. The brown tom's eyes were blank and cloudy. Emberpaw could scent death on him, but no blood marked the making of any injury.

"Gustpaw…" Emberpaw choked, fighting back the tears that threatened to leak from his eyes. He and Woodpaw had been good friends. The tom always did like taking risks, but this time his obsession had killed him. Emberpaw crouched beside Gustpaw. "We have to go home."

Gustpaw was silent for a few moments more. Finally, she got to her paws and tried to grasp Woodpaw's scruff in her jaws.

Emberpaw rested his tail gently on Gustpaw's flank. "I'll carry him," he whispered.

Gustpaw nodded, and the two trekked back to camp, Woodpaw hanging limply from Emberpaw's back. Emberpaw had to admit: the apprentice was heavy. By the time they reached the camp, Emberpaw's legs were tired and aching. He slowly crouched to the floor, careful not to disturb Woodpaw's body as he slid to the ground.

Gustpaw yowled into the night air, which was cut short by a choke of grief. Cats began streaming from their nests almost immediately, and Emberpaw saw their faces twist with horror as their eyes landed on Woodpaw.

"What's happened?" a cat called.

"Woodpaw's dead!" another wailed.

"How?" called another.

Emberpaw flinched as he felt a tail rest on his shoulder. He saw Cloudstar staring at him with soft eyes. Emberpaw's eyes watered, and he could hardly stop himself from bursting into tears.

"Tell us what happened," Cloudstar encouraged. The Clan fell silent, clearly interested in what had caused Woodpaw's death.

"I-I couldn't sleep," Emberpaw began, deciding to start from the beginning. "I noticed that Woodpaw and Gustpaw weren't in the den, so I decided to look for them. They were in the forest. When I found them, i-it killed…" his voice faltered, "…it happened so fast."

"It's okay," Cloudstar soothed, stroking Emberpaw's back with his tail. Emberpaw hated being treated like a kit, but right now he was too grief-stricken and tired to protest. "Go to Riverfoot. He'll help."

Emberpaw padded miserably to the medicine-cats' den. He could hear Cloudstar giving instructions for Woodpaw's vigil and burial. Sighing, Emberpaw felt a fresh wave of grief wash over him at the loss of his friend.

* * *

Emberpaw stared at the night sky, his mind whirling. He was curled up next to Woodpaw's body. He offered to sit vigil the entire night, and to help bury the tom come sunset. Stars twinkled overhead, and Emberpaw couldn't help feeling upset that StarClan had taken his best friend.

_No_, Emberpaw realized. _StarClan didn't do this; Bloodclaw did this_.

A small kindle of anger sparked inside Emberpaw, growing stronger until it was a raging fire. He would avenge Woodpaw's death, no matter the cost.

Retracing the events that had led up to Woodpaw's death, Emberpaw couldn't help but feel confused. Bloodclaw had had the perfect opportunity to kill him, but it hadn't taken it. Why would it spare him?

And more importantly: what had the voices meant about Emberpaw being different?

* * *

**;)**


	7. Chapter 5

**Eh. I didn't proof read - again. I'll come back and correct any mistakes later.**

**CH5**

* * *

"I'm tired," Emberpaw complained, rubbing his eye with a paw. His jaws gaped in a yawn. He was training with Smokeclaw. It was the middle of sunhigh, but Emberpaw felt like he'd been training all day.

"But we've only been training for a short while!" Smokeclaw rumbled. He padded over to Emberpaw, his eyes narrowed. "Have you been sleeping well?"

Emberpaw looked away. He didn't know why, but his dreams had been more frequent than they previously were. He'd have multiple dreams a night – they'd keep him up till sunrise. Without much sleep, Emberpaw was always tired come morning. "No."

"Why not?" Smokeclaw exclaimed, blinking his eyes. He made an exasperated noise. "Listen, Emberpaw," he began, his voice soft, "I get that you're upset about Woodpaw's death, but you've got to start taking care of yourself. You can't stay up all night and sleep all day – you're going to mess up your sleep cycle. You don't have to train today, but I want you doing something productive."

Emberpaw sighed.

He watched as Smokeclaw padded past him. The warrior's eyes were full of sympathy. Emberpaw felt his fur bristle, and he held back a remark as Smokeclaw disappeared into the forest.

What did Smokeclaw know about losing a friend? All his friends were safely in the camp, sharing tongues or patrolling borders! He could never understand the loss that Emberpaw had gone through!

Gritting his teeth, Emberpaw felt a new wave of anger wash over him. The Clan had basically forgotten about Woodpaw. They carried on with their lives as if he'd never existed in the first place. It seemed that Bloodclaw's attacks had become so common that the Clans just stopped caring if their warriors died.

Shaking his head, Emberpaw padded through the forest, opening his mouth to let the air bathe his glands. He could scent a pigeon.

Emberpaw dropped into a hunters' crouch. He glided silently along the floor, eyes tiny slits. He sighted the pigeon hopping along the ground, picking at the ground in search for nuts. Drawing closer, Emberpaw prepared to leap.

The bird suddenly shot upward, squawking an alarm call. Emberpaw bunched his muscles and leaped, launching into the air. His claws snagged in the pigeon's body, and Emberpaw dragged his prey to the ground, killing it with a swift bite to the neck.

Proud of his catch, Emberpaw padded back to camp, holding his head high. Smokeclaw had ordered that he do something productive… What could he do? He could hunt, but the idea seemed boring. There were no elders to take care of…

Emberpaw pushed his way through the camp entrance. He deposited his prey on the pile, noticing Gustpaw eating nearby. Picking himself a vole, Emberpaw padded over to her and began eating his prey.

"What's up?" Gustpaw meowed, cocking her head. Emberpaw blinked as he saw the glaze of exhaustion over her eyes. Gustpaw had been burying herself in work, trying to forget about Woodpaw's murder. She was either training, hunting, or repairing dens. Emberpaw had never seen the she-cat so tired, nor had he seen the dens so well woven or the fresh-kill pile so well stocked.

"You look terrible," Emberpaw commented, offering a comforting lick. He felt Gustpaw relax, and a sigh escaped her jaws. "You should get some sleep."

"I could say the same to you," Gustpaw remarked, her eyes narrowing to tiny slits. Emberpaw looked away, suddenly self-conscious about how he must appear to Gustpaw. His pelt was unkempt, and his eyes were dull and tired.

"Well maybe we should both get some sleep," Emberpaw suggested, jerking his head toward the apprentices' den. It was still sunhigh, but Emberpaw felt he could do with a nap.

"Goldenleaf said I could rest today, but I don't think he'd take too kindly to me sleeping it through."

"What else can we do?" Emberpaw meowed, sweeping his gaze around the camp. There weren't many cats in the camp, and there was practically nothing to do. "We have no elders, the fresh-kill pile is well stocked, and all the dens have been reinforced."

Gustpaw blinked. "I guess you're right," she admitted, her jaws parting in a yawn.

"Besides," Emberpaw went on, "you deserve it. You've been working harder than all the warriors put together!"

Gustpaw didn't say anything, but Emberpaw saw the she-cat's eyes flash with sorrow. He cursed himself silently for reminding Gustpaw about Woodpaw's death, then gave the silver cat a comforting lick on the head before slipping into the apprentices' den. Gustpaw followed, and the two sank into their nests, eyes closed.

000

Emberpaw jolted awake. He blinked his eyes, his head swiveling around as he gazed across the den. Strangely, he didn't feel tired at all. Pushing himself to his paws, Emberpaw padded out of the apprentices' den. Silverpelt glittered high above.

Sighing, Emberpaw padded to the center of the camp. He didn't really feel like going back to sleep, and he couldn't go for a stroll in the forest for obvious reasons. Curling up in the clearing, Emberpaw watched as his Clanmates woke one by one.

The first cat to wake was Skyfur. She padded outside the warriors' den and paused to groom herself. Next came Darkfur and Goldenleaf. The two padded to the fresh-kill pile and began sharing tongues as they ate.

Feeling suddenly hungry, Emberpaw trotted over to the fresh-kill pile. He picked himself a vole, then settled down to eat.

It wasn't long until Gustpaw emerged from the apprentices' den. She padded toward Emberpaw with an enormous yawn. Emberpaw could see that she was still tired even though she had slept for almost the whole day yesterday.

"Hey, Emberpaw…" Gustpaw mewed drowsily, her jaws parting in another yawn. She settled herself next to him, then began grooming her pelt with tired strokes of her tongue.

"Hey…" Emberpaw mewed, sounding unenthusiastic. He wanted to say something, but he was afraid that he'd mention Woodpaw's death again. The two sat in awkward silence until Smokeclaw emerged from the warriors' den.

_Thank you, StarClan…_ Emberpaw thought, glad to be doing something. He waited patiently while Smokeclaw groomed himself and ate. When the black tom was finished, he motioned to Emberpaw with his tail as he pushed through the camp entrance.

Emberpaw cast a glance at Gustpaw. The she-cat was picking half-heartedly at a sparrow. Feeling his heart lurch, Emberpaw pushed himself to his paws.

"Want to come with us?" he asked. Gustpaw looked up, surprised.

"I don't know," she admitted, glancing toward the warriors' den. "I'm not sure Goldenleaf would approve."

"Oh, come on," Emberpaw snorted, pushing Gustpaw to her paws. "It's not like you're going out alone. I'm sure he'll understand."

Gustpaw didn't say anything, but she followed Emberpaw and Smokeclaw as they padded through the camp entrance.

* * *

It was evening by the time Emberpaw returned to the camp. Gustpaw and Smokeclaw followed, Goldenleaf close by. The ginger tom had caught up with them earlier that day.

Emberpaw padded straight to the apprentices' den. Goldenleaf and Smokeclaw were chatting. Gustpaw paused to take something from the fresh-kill pile. Emberpaw wasn't hungry – he had a plan for tonight.

He still hadn't forgotten his promise to Woodpaw. Emberpaw had requested that Smokeclaw teach him battle moves today. Smokeclaw had agreed, and he'd worked Emberpaw hard. Emberpaw's muscles felt stiff and tired.

Emberpaw waited for his Clanmates to go to sleep. It seemed to take forever before the last warrior finally entered their den.

Getting slowly to his paws, Emberpaw picked his way around Gustpaw. He hurried into the clearing and slipped silently through the camp entrance.

The night air was still. The moon was a small claw in the sky. Emberpaw felt a sudden chill as he pricked his ears. He couldn't hear anything.

Sniffing the air, Emberpaw suddenly picked up the scent of death. His eyes darted around. He saw glowing red eyes peering from the dark, and he took a step forward.

"Come out and face me, you coward!" He hissed, unsheathing his claws.

Bloodclaw's eyes narrowed. It padded slowly from the shadows, looking Emberpaw up and down with a dismissive flick of its ears. Emberpaw felt indignation flare in his chest. How dare it mock him?

Snarling, Bloodclaw stopped a few foxlengths in front of Emberpaw. The black creature made a weird sound that sounded like a laugh. Gritting his teeth, Emberpaw leaped into the air with outstretched claws as the massive beast lunged for him.


	8. Chapter 6

**Reviews:**

**The Creek in the Mountains - Yes, the dreaded cliffhanger! I have to keep you guys' attention somehow...**

**Claradreamer - Sorry! No hurt me! I'm glad you like it, but if you think that cliffhanger was bad, you might kill me over this one...**

**MistyMoon and SilverWing - Thank yer! I checked your profile (as I do all my reviewers). As I read the bottom part, I realized something: you and I are exactly alike!**

**Anyway, hurray for rushed chapters! This is really short... sorry. I think it has enough content to keep you satisfied though. Once again, I no proof read. I was just too excited to show this to you guys.**

**CH6**

* * *

Emberpaw gasped as the two collided in midair. He fell to the ground with a _thump_, the breath rushing from his lungs.

Bloodclaw growled deep in its throat. It opened its jaws in a nasty snarl. Emberpaw could see white razors glistening in the creature's mouth; he shivered as he thought of them sinking into his flesh.

Fighting back his fear, Emberpaw reared up on his hind legs. He tried to swipe his claws at Bloodclaw's muzzle, but the black cat ducked and leaped forward, tackling Emberpaw to the ground. Emberpaw held up his paws, trying to hold Bloodclaw back as its teeth flashed close to his neck. He pummeled the beast with his hind claws, black fur flying out in clumps.

Bloodclaw hissed in pain. It batted at Emberpaw's ears. Emberpaw felt his head sting; he started to feel blood trickle down his cheek.

Yowling in rage, Emberpaw wrapped his paws around Bloodclaw's neck and rolled over. He was now on top of the black cat, paws poised over its face. He struck his claws across Bloodclaw's throat.

Bloodclaw didn't even flinch as the gashes formed on its neck. Emberpaw saw the flesh join back together; the fur grew back soon after. Emberpaw froze, his mind whirling.

_How do I beat it?_ He thought, desperately searching his mind. He leaped backward as Bloodclaw reared up to snap at his neck. He turned and pelted into the forest, his belly fur brushing grass.

Though Emberpaw couldn't hear anything, he dared to glance back. Instead of Bloodclaw bounding after him, he saw a black cloud of smoke drifting rapidly toward him. Emberpaw put on an extra burst of speed.

Emberpaw suddenly crashed through a patch of brambles. He stumbled, tripping over himself. Getting to his paws, he shook out his fur. A small patch of moonlight shined overhead, causing Emberpaw to blink his eyes.

The black cloud swirled around the bramble thicket, forming the shape of Bloodclaw in a matter of heartbeats. With a snarl, it lunged for Emberpaw; Emberpaw stiffened and closed his eyes, waiting to be slaughtered.

A loud hissing noise like steaming water filled the air, followed by a screech of agony. Emberpaw opened his eyes, eyes widening in confusion.

Bloodclaw lay on the floor, writhing in pain. Overhead, the shaft of moonlight shone down on its flank. Looking closer, Emberpaw's spine tingled at what he saw.

Across Bloodclaw's flank, where the light shone, a black mist swirled around a patch of tortoiseshell fur. As Bloodclaw continued to struggle, the light flashed across its face. Emberpaw saw the creature's black fur burn away, showing a brown and ginger pelt beneath.

_What's going on?_ Emberpaw thought, interest coursing through his veins. The moonlight flashed across Bloodclaw's face, and Emberpaw gasped as he saw the face of she-cat glare at him for a heartbeat before the black fur concealed it again.

_Bloodclaw's a _she-cat_!?_ Emberpaw took a step back, numb with shock. _It also seems she's sensitive to light…_

A sudden idea popped into Emberpaw's mind. With a growl, he flung himself on Bloodclaw's back. He forced the massive cat's head into the light, ignoring the shrieks that erupted from her jaws.

Unsheathing his claws, Emberpaw slashed them across Bloodclaw's ear. The flesh split open, blood welling up. Emberpaw then dragged her into the dark, away from moonlight.

As soon as she was in the dark, Bloodclaw writhed viciously under Emberpaw's body. Emberpaw pressed down on the she-cat as hard as he could, narrowing his eyes intently on Bloodclaw's scratched ear.

Bloodclaw's ear began to darken until it turned black again. Although thin trails of smoke began to swirl around her head once more, the slice in Bloodclaw's ear didn't heal.

His pelt warming with satisfaction, Emberpaw released Bloodclaw. She sprang up at once and turned on Emberpaw, teeth bared. But Emberpaw didn't feel any fear. He took a threatening pace forward and flattened his ears.

With a roar of frustration, Bloodclaw whipped around and raced into the forest, her black tail streaming behind her.

Emberpaw stared after her, raising his voice in a yowl. "You can't hide from me! I'll be back – and this time I know how to kill you!"

* * *

**Quick rundown: Bloodclaw's a girl. Any damage done to Bloodclaw while it's under light will not heal. Hah, Darkclaw! I never said Bloodclaw was a tom - I classified the thing as an 'it'! I wanted to reply to your review, but I feared giving away too much...**

**Anyhoozle, another update will come! School's coming back in, so I won't be able to upload often. I'm about halfway done with this, and you guys are going to be so shocked about the ending!**

**Toodles!**


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Pale dawn light was dappling the ground when Emberpaw woke up. Truth be told, he actually felt a lot better today than ever before. Finally, after moons of loss and depression, the Clans' suffering was going to come to an end. Finally, some cat knew how to get rid of Bloodclaw!

_I still have to train_, Emberpaw reflected, laying on his belly near the fresh-kill pile. _I also need to come up with a plan._

Emberpaw began drawing his tongue over his fur. Even though he'd been up late last night – and hadn't gotten much sleep (if at all) – he still felt full of energy. He guessed it was because of his excitement.

_Okay_, Emberpaw thought, going over his plan. He'd decided that he'd go out and look for Bloodclaw at the next half-moon. Until then, he'd train to perfect his combat skill. _All if have to do is get Bloodclaw under a shaft of moonlight. Then, if I slit her throat, she won't be able to heal!_

A satisfied purr rumbled in Emberpaw's throat. He hadn't told any cat of his discovery about Bloodclaw, he didn't plan to (not yet, anyway). First, he would kill the beast. Then he would tell the Clans of how he'd bested the terrible creature.

_The almighty Bloodclaw, defeated by an apprentice!_ Emberpaw sneered inwardly.

Suddenly, a rustling noise came from the warriors' den. Skyfur padded out, her gray eyes landing on Emberpaw questioningly. She padded over to the fresh-kill pile and chose herself a thrush.

"You're up early," the silver she-cat remarked, narrowing her eyes. Her voice was muffled by the feathers of the thrush.

"Oh, I couldn't sleep," Emberpaw explained, trying to suppress his excitement. "I thought I might as well come out here and wait for Smokeclaw to wake up."

Skyfur nodded in understanding. "Maybe you'd like to spar a bit?" she suggested, "To be honest, I could do with a nice practice fight. Besides, you look like you need something to do. You're fidgeting like a kit!"

"Sure, I'll go with you!" Emberpaw meowed. It seemed he wasn't going to have to wait for Smokeclaw after all.

A purr rumbled from Skyfur's throat. "Just let me finish this thrush, first."

Emberpaw waited patiently while the Clan deputy ate her prey. When she was done, she swiped her tongue around her jaws. "Let's go," she mewed.

Emberpaw got to his paws and followed Skyfur toward the camp entrance. The silver she-cat wasn't too good at fighting, but Emberpaw didn't care. All he wanted was to train and best Bloodclaw when he acted on his revenge. _I still haven't forgotten my promise, Woodpaw!_

While the two were padding toward the training hollow, a thought occurred to Emberpaw. Skyfur was the Clan deputy: did she have time to be out here?

"Are you sure you can do this?" Emberpaw meowed, narrowing his eyes. Skyfur glanced over her shoulder to gaze at him questioningly. "You are the Clan deputy. Shouldn't you be organizing patrols?"

"I'm usually always the first one to wake up," Skyfur explained. "We still have a while before enough warriors wake for me to make a patrol."

Emberpaw flicked his ears in acknowledgement.

"Besides," Skyfur went on, "Cloudstar can assign patrols if we don't get back in time. That lazy lump needs to start doing some work anyway!"

Emberpaw purred with amusement. It was true that Cloudstar wasn't the most active cat in the Clan. All the same, Emberpaw felt a little weird making fun of his leader. How would he feel is some cat said the same about him?

_I'm not lazy,_ Emberpaw thought to himself, curling his claws in the ground. _I'll work as hard as I need to in order to make sure I avenge Woodpaw._

"Here we are," Skyfur announced, stopping in her tracks. She slid down the slope of the training hollow. Emberpaw followed.

"Now, you know the rules," Skyfur mewed. She gave a long stretch. "Keep your claws sheathed, we can't have each other getting hurt unnecessarily. Also, try to keep the scuffling to a minimum, I can't have you messing up my fur. The fight keeps going until one of us gives up, okay?"

"Okay," Emberpaw growled, dropping into an attack crouch. He flicked his tail back and forth, trying to figure out a battle strategy.

Skyfur pinned her ears against her head and dropped into a couch. A growl rumbled in her throat. She bunched her muscles and leaped.

Emberpaw rolled to the side, moving just as Skyfur's paw struck out to try and catch him on the ear. Emberpaw darted side to side, using an old trick Smokeclaw had taught him.

_It confuses the enemy_, Emberpaw could hear Smokeclaw's words in his head. _And it makes it harder to predict your movements._

Sure enough, Skyfur's eyes were darting back and forth, trying to guess where Emberpaw was going to be next. She backed, confusion flashing in her eyes.

_Got you!_ Emberpaw suddenly reared up on his legs, ready to slam his paws down on Skyfur's back. Skyfur's eyes flashed with triumph, and she darted forward, ready to grasp Emberpaw's belly in her paws and drag him to the ground.

Growling, Emberpaw pushed off with his hind legs. He sauntered over Skyfur in a tremendous leap, landing neatly on his paws behind the silver she-cat.

_Whoa!_ Emberpaw's mind whirled. Smokeclaw had never taught him that move… _Where did that come from?_

Skyfur looked just as confused. She whipped around and raced toward Emberpaw, slamming into him. Emberpaw gasped as he fell to the ground. The two began tussling, kicking up dust in their wake.

The light of battle sparked in Emberpaw's eyes. A growl rumbled deep in his throat as he struck out at Skyfur in a series of savage blows. He was pretty sure he heard her cry out, but he kept striking. He could almost picture the blood oozing from her wounds; it made him fight harder.

"Stop!"

Emberpaw froze. He released Skyfur to see Smokeclaw and Cloudstar standing at the top of the hollow. Behind them was Gustpaw. Neither of them looked happy.

"What is this?" Cloudstar growled, padding into the hollow. He glared at Emberpaw, whom flinched under his furious glare. "Why were you two fighting?"

"We weren't," Emberpaw explained, casting a glance back at Skyfur. His belly clenched in horror; Skyfur was limping, and she had a bruise on one of her flanks. Her muzzle was bleeding.

"I said no unsheathed claws!" Skyfur meowed, rubbing her muzzle crossly. She began licking her wounds. "You messed up my fur!"

Emberpaw released a sigh of relief as he realized that Skyfur was more upset than hurt. He turned his gaze back to Cloudstar, who was still eyeing him angrily. Clearly he wanted an answer.

"I-I…" Emberpaw stammered. He searched his mind desperately for an excuse. Even he hadn't expected himself to fight so viciously.

"Well," Cloudstar growled, "since you can't excuse your actions, I'll leave your punishment up to Smokeclaw. But you're not allowed to attend the next Gathering, understand?"

"Yes, Cloudstar," Emberpaw mumbled, his pelt burning with shame. He bowed his head. Cloudstar helped Skyfur lean on his shoulder. He began muttering angrily into the she-cat's ear, who grumbled back in reply.

"Come on," Smokeclaw's brisk command made Emberpaw jerk his head up. Smokeclaw waved his tail for Emberpaw to follow as he disappeared over the lips of the hollow. Gustpaw waited patiently while Emberpaw climbed up the slope. She fell in beside him as the group of cats trekked back to the camp.

"What was that about?" Gustpaw whispered, her blue eyes wide and anxious. "You looked really vicious."

"We were just play-fighting!" Emberpaw grumbled. The fur along his spine began to lift. He hadn't fought _that_ hard, had he? "Why is everyone making such a big deal about it?"

"That looked much too serious to be a practice-fight," Gustpaw hissed, sounding unconvinced by Emberpaw's assurance. "It looked like you wanted to _kill_ Skyfur."

"But I didn't," Emberpaw seethed, having no idea where his sudden burst of anger was coming from. He assumed it was because he was being accused of something that he hadn't done – he hated that. He hadn't meant to hurt Skyfur… why did no cat believe him? "For StarClan's sake, can we stop talking about it? It's all done and over with now."

"No, it isn't," Smokeclaw growled. Emberpaw hadn't realized that the black tom had fallen in beside them. "You're luck there are no elders," he snarled, "Otherwise I'd have you cleaning dens and hunting for the _rest of the day_!"

"It was an accident!" Emberpaw exclaimed, surprised by Smokeclaw's fury. He flattened his ears against his head. "Why don't any of you believe me?"

Emberpaw's question went unanswered. He plodded back to camp with his tail low, wondering again when and why he had suddenly gotten so vicious during his spar with Skyfur.


	10. Chapter 8

**Not going to lie, this chapter is short. After this, Emberpaw and Bloodclaw are going to fight, and then the _real_ fun begins.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"Again!" Emberpaw growled, drawing his paws in the earth. Smokeclaw gave a huge sigh.

"No," he meowed, taking a seat in the sand. "I'm not doing this anymore."

Emberpaw's ears went up in surprise. His amber eyes blazed with fire as he stared at Smokeclaw. "Why not?"

"I don't like what's happening to you, Emberpaw," Smokeclaw admitted. "Ever since Woodpaw's death, you've been… different. I'm worried that you might end up getting hurt trying to pursue what you want."

Emberpaw realized that Smokeclaw was right. He had changed since Woodpaw's death: he'd become angrier, more ambitious, and more dangerous. He'd been so bent on revenge that he really didn't have time to think about anything else. He'd been asking Smokeclaw for nothing but battle training for the past three quarter-moons. But that was his choice, who cared what Smokeclaw thought?

"You don't know what I want," Emberpaw growled. "You could never know because you haven't experienced what I've experienced."

"Quiet!" Smokeclaw seethed. His voice was low and dangerous, and there was some unknown emotion in his eyes. "Be careful of what you say next, Emberpaw; you're treading on some _very_ thin ice right now."

"It's true!" Emberpaw hissed. "You don't know how I feel, you could _never_ know how I feel! All your friends, everyone you care about is safe and sound in the camp! You don't know what it's like to lose someone! I had to watch him die! You'll never know that look… that helpless, pained look…"

Emberpaw had to stop himself from sobbing out loud. He choked back his grief and took a deep breath. _No more crying. You've shed enough tears, now it's time to act._

Smokeclaw was staring at Emberpaw, his gaze unreadable. After a few moments, he took a deep breath. "I _do_ know how you feel, Emberpaw. Believe me, I do."

"How?" Emberpaw challenged, his fur bristling. "Tell me!"

Smokeclaw was silent.

Emberpaw narrowed his eyes. "Exactly," he sneered. "Until you know what I've been through, don't talk to me about my decisions."

"It killed my mate," Smokeclaw snarled.

Emberpaw fell silent. His ears flicked. Had he heard correctly? _Smokeclaw had a _mate? "What?"

"You heard me," Smokeclaw seethed. He curled his claws into the ground. Emberpaw gazed into his mentor's eyes and saw nothing but cold sorrow. "_It killed my mate._"

"I-I…" Emberpaw stammered.

"Her name was Silverhollow," Smokeclaw went on, as if Emberpaw hadn't spoken. His voice was as hard as flint. "I'd known about Bloodclaw then, but I'd thought it was just a myth. I went out into the forest to prove that Bloodclaw didn't exist. She tagged along.

"At first, everything was fine. No sightings, no sounds. But, then she said she started hearing whispers. She followed them, and I trailed along behind her. All of a sudden, it came out of nowhere and attacked her."

Emberpaw closed his eyes. He could feel Smokeclaw's sorrow as if it were his own. He wanted his mentor to stop talking: he couldn't bear to hear anymore. How would he feel if he'd lost someone he loved? He couldn't imagine the pain.

"I tried to get help," Smokeclaw went on, "but she insisted that I stay with her. I… I-I had to watch her bleed out."

Emberpaw winced. How terrible to watch a loved one bleed out! Emberpaw could picture a young Smokeclaw bending over a silver she-cat, his eyes filled with pain and love as he watched the one he held most dear slowly slip away…

"Believe me, Emberpaw, I know how you feel," Smokeclaw's voice broke Emberpaw from his thoughts. "I know you're upset, but Woodpaw is _gone_. The sooner you accept that, the better it'll be."

"I don't _want_ to accept it," Emberpaw hissed back, "and you can't make me."

Smokeclaw heaved a heavy sigh. "You're right, I can't make you," he conceded, "but don't say I didn't warn you. If you keep treading down this path, you'll either end up dead or hurt."

Emberpaw didn't say anything. With a huff, he turned and padded away, heading into the thicker of the forest. Even if he wanted to accept the fact that Woodpaw was gone, he'd made a promise. Whatever it took, he'd fulfill that promise – one way or another.

_I have to do this,_ Emberpaw thought, a growl rumbling in his throat as he pictured Bloodclaw's frame in his mind. _Not just for Woodpaw, but for the other Clans as well._ _After countless seasons of terror, it's time this thing was put down for good._

Just one more quarter-moon. With the full moon not far off, Emberpaw was more than ready to take on Bloodclaw in the final showdown. Either way, Emberpaw was going to make sure that he saw the light fade from the monster's eyes, even if he had to die in the process.


End file.
